A magazine for the alumni of all University of Tennessee campuses and institutes

Deadlines, Deadlines, Deadlines

This is the part of the magazine process that I like to call “Editor Freakout.” Today is the deadline for copy to be turned in for our spring issue, which comes out in April. I am really excited about the issue. But it’s usually around this time in the process when there are so many balls in the air, that I start freaking out about whether everything will come together. It always does. I am a worrier, though, so it really gets me in a knot to have so many things still unknown.

There are 19 articles assigned for the spring issue, plus four pages of alumni photos in the Association News section. I am happy to report that eight of those are in hand and parts of five are heading toward completion. (Now I’m panicked about the remaining six. But wait, now I remember the status of those. Woo. Deep breath.) As I mentioned, today is the copy deadline, so I’m sure more copy will come in today and the coming days.

After I receive the copy, I edit it and ask questions if needed. Then the articles go to our copy editor, Jan Avent. After her edit, I read it again and send it on to our designer, Laura Barroso.

Another big job is pulling together all the photos for the stories. Some turn out really well, and some we would probably rather be better. Cost is a factor in some of the photography. If it’s good and free, then I take it. But sometimes you definitely get what you pay for, and free is not so good.

It’s still too early to reveal too much about our spring issue, but I think you’ll get a real kick out of it. (That’s subtle hint toward our cover.)

(Update: Four more stories and a slew of photos hit my inbox this afternoon. Yes!)

At our photo shoot for the cover, I found a punching bad to help ease editor stress. Ad manager, John Lacey, holds the bag for me.